January 14, 2020 Marks The End of Support For Microsoft Server 2008

What Do You Need to Know About The Retirement And End Of Support For Microsoft Server 2008? (Questions/Answers)

Your Microsoft Server 2008 support comes to an end on January 14, 2020 and many organizations are already taking steps to upgrade now.

Server 2008 was released in February 2008 as the successor to Windows Server 2003. The 2008R2 was released at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles later that year in October. Both were an instant hit with many users. They featured a clean design, better security and faster speeds.

Many of our clients throughout the Virginia and DC areas installed these servers and they’ve been happy with the service for all these years. But all good things must come to an end and it’s time to phase out the Server 2008 and the 2008 R2 and install something newer.

Why You Should Switch Now

Nobody seems to like change and our clients are wondering if it’s really necessary to replace the Server 2008 and 2008 R2. The reason is simple but very important. At the time, these machines are in extended end-of-life support. Though security updates are still available, this will not be true for long. Once all support ends on January 14, 2020, you should already be moved over to a new system.

IT Security & Compliance Are Critical

At the end of support, critical security updates will also end. This means that there won’t be any security protection for your equipment. You could be vulnerable to a number of data breaches including zero-day exploits. This could put your data at risk and affect your compliance with industry regulations. There are so many malware and ransomware viruses floating around the internet these days.

In addition, if you process credit-card transactions, you may not meet PCI-DSS standards. For healthcare organizations, there’s the risk of not being compliant with HIPAA. This could result in penalties and fines.

Increased IT Maintenance Costs

For equipment like this that has reached its end of life, all managed IT providers will charge more for managing and maintaining it. The reason is that this older equipment will no longer get regular patches and security updates. That makes it more risky to use and harder to work on.

Data Loss

If you continue using Servers 2008 or 2008 R2, you could run into problems like unresolvable outages. This could result in lost data, as well as lower productivity. Most businesses simply can’t afford frequent downtime.

How Will Your Organization Benefit After Upgrading?

In the years since Server 2008 or 2008 R2 came out, there have been a lot of changes in the world of Internet hardware and software. There are new programs out now that your business can take advantage of if you’re running the latest and best servers and server operating systems. There are lots of other advantages:

Data Warehousing Capabilities

Enhanced Security

Increased Availability

Advanced Real-Time Data Analytics

Increased Reliability

Business Intelligence Capabilities

Increased Performance

How The Upgrade Process Works

Our upgrade specialists begin by assessing your current IT environment, making a list of all programs and other hardware that could be affected. Next, we ensure that everything will be compatible. We also make sure that all security stays in effect and working throughout the process so there are no risks of cyber threats.

Assessment: We meet with your leadership and explain the process. We make sure your staff knows what to expect during the upgrade process. Our experts will evaluate your current database environment and server operating system.

The Plan: Our team will develop a plan to migrate your data over to the new system that reduces any downtime or inconvenience to your business operations.

Reporting: Once we’ve reviewed your current IT environment and determined your situation, we’ll provide you with an upgrade plan that includes a timeframe and cost estimate.

The Upgrade: We expect the upgrade to go smoothly because we’ve taken all the right steps to ensure a successful upgrade. Of course, our team will be available if you have any questions or issues.

What To Expect After Upgrading

You should see immediate improvements in performance. The newer equipment will be more reliable and it’s easier to protect from common causes of an outage. Your cybersecurity will be improved and your system will be easier to recover in case of a disaster. You can also expect regular patches and updates. These will further improve performance.